title: Gastro-intestinal nematode infections in a goat breeding farm in north-western Sri Lanka.
abstract: Faecal egg counts were used to study patterns of nematode infestation of adult female goats and their offspring according to season, pregnancy and lactation or age on a goat farm (n = 2000) in north-western Sri Lanka. Average rainfall in the area is 825 mm and temperature is between 23 and 33 degrees C throughout the year. The only nematode species present on the farm were Haemonchus contortus and Oesophagostomum columbianum. In adult females the faecal egg output was not influenced by season and no significant periparturient rise was observed. In kids the egg counts rose from the third month of age onwards and reached the same levels as the adults by the fourth month. Post-mortem studies on a neighbouring farm indicated that hypobiosis was not present.
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Clinical Studies, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Science, University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Van Aken
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: De Bont
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vercruysse
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Dorny
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000818:Animals; D005243:Feces / Q000469:parasitology; D005260:Female; D015511:Goat Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006041:Goats; D007411:Intestinal Diseases, Parasitic / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D007774:Lactation; D009349:Nematode Infections / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D010270:Parasite Egg Count / Q000662:veterinary; D011247:Pregnancy; D011251:Pregnancy Complications, Infectious / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D011891:Rain; D012621:Seasons; D013188:Sri Lanka / Q000453:epidemiology